Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27081
Hints and tips by Deep Threat
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Good morning from a cold, frosty and snow-covered South Staffs, where the early morning sun and blue sky suggest that today at least I may be spared snow clearance duties.
I found the top half of today’s puzzle trickier than the bottom, and it took some time for the answer to 1a to emerge, hence my *** rating.
In the hints below, the definitions are underlined.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Across
1a Able to see clearly live show’s heading for disaster? (12)
{ BESPECTACLED } A charade of a verb meaning ‘to live’, a theatrical show, and the first letter (heading) of D isaster, giving us the outcome for those who did go to Specsavers.
9a Hot movie creator revealing arrogance (7)
{ HAUTEUR } The abbreviation for H ot followed by the posh word for someone who makes films that nobody watches.
10a Harry’s dead spoilt (7)
{ RAVAGED } A verb meaning harry or pillage followed by D ead.
11a TV channel ? (4)
{ TUBE } Double definition. An informal word for TV and a way of moving liquids around.
12a Neck, lip or elsewhere (5)
{ CHEEK } The answer is a body part (elsewhere by reference to neck and lip. Neck, lip and the answer are also examples of informal words for insolence.
13a Some louche rock’n'roll idol (4)
{ HERO } Hidden inside (some) the clue.
16a Arm below the wrist? (7)
{ HANDGUN } A firearm suggested by the bit of the arm below the wrist.
17a Idly pet mongrel without enthusiasm (7)
{ TEPIDLY }Anagram (mongrel) of IDLY PET.
18a No more pot? This looks serious (7)
{ DEADPAN } ‘No more’, as in ‘this parrot is…’ followed by a synonym of pot.
21a Compile unusually hostile argument (7)
{ POLEMIC } Anagram (unusually) of COMPILE.
23a Criticise swimmer (4)
{ CARP } Double definition.
24a Picture that is cover for colour supplement (5)
{ IMAGE } The Latin abbreviation for ‘that is’ wrapped around (cover) an abbreviation of the sort of publication that a colour supplement is.
25a Killer or cuddly ape foremost? (4)
{ ORCA } OR (from the clue) followed by the initial letters (foremost) of C uddly A pe.
28a See 7 Down
29a Japanese dish with mash is served up across India (7)
{ SASHIMI } Anagram (served up) of MASH IS wrapped around (across) the letter represented by the NATO codeword India.
30a Backlash from grim visitor wanting a pillow with different filling (12)
{ REPERCUSSION } Remove (wanting) the A from the bony chap with the scythe, than add a sort of pillow with the middle letter (filling) changed from H to S.
Down
1d French line in whisky (7)
{ BOURBON } Double definition, the first being the French royal house.
2d Dump in men’s refuge ? (4)
{ SHED } Another double definition, the first being a verb.
3d Clear the new site of clay (7)
{ EARTHEN } Hidden inside (site of) Cl ear the n ew.
4d Wrong keeping troops in distress (7)
{ TORMENT } The legal term for a civil wrong with one of the synonyms for troops inside (keeping).
5d No end of witches gathering in cavern (4)
{ COVE } Drop the final N from the word for a witches’ gathering. The definition is not a meaning of the answer that I was familiar with, but it is in Chambers.
6d Boffin with scrambled brain? (7)
{ EGGHEAD } Something that might be scrambled for breakfast followed by a synonym for brain.
7d and 28 Across: The very thing that’s needed — complete rest ? (4,3,6,7)
{ WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED A sort of all-in-one clue, the whole thing being an example of the answer, the first part also being the definition of the informal phrase that might be uttered on having the first drink of the day.
8d Icy, sardonic — it could get personal (13)
{ IDIOSYNCRATIC } Anagram (could get) of ICY SARDONIC IT
14d With mouth wide open a cavity’s visible finally (5)
{ AGAPE } A (from the clue) followed by a word for a cavity and the last letter (finally) of visibl E .
15d Flour is spelled differently (5)
{ SPELT } An alternative version (differently) of the past tense of ‘spell’ has the same spelling as what Chambers gives as a variety of wheat rather than the flour made from it.
19d Contract for amateur game (7)
{ ABRIDGE } A verb meaning to shorten is made up from A mateur and a card game.
20d Alternative comedian lacking energy and rambling (7)
{ NOMADIC } Anagram (alternative) of COM(E)DIAN with the E removed (lacking Energy).
21d Pressure’s on wild guess about a legendary creature (7)
{ PEGASUS } Bellerophon’s winged steed comes from P ressure followed by an anagram (wild) of GUESS with A (from the clue) inside it.
22d Finish off tamarind paste that’s out of this world (7)
{ MARTIAN } Anagram (paste) of TAMARIN(D) with the final D removed (finish off).
26d East Berlin oddly in the forefront for cheese (4)
{ BRIE } Take the odd-numbered letters of B e r l i n and put them before (in the forefront) the abbreviation for E ast. That’s two Tuesdays in succession that this cheese has appeared. I hope Brian likes the clue better this week!
27d Bubbly and endlessly on the go (4)
{ ASTI } The usual crosswordland fizzy wine comes from removing (endlessly) the final R from a word meaning ‘up and about’.
The Quick Crossword pun { BUST }{ TURK }{ EATEN } = { BUSTER KEATON }
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} – 
Found this difficult but managed without hints – thank you for your review DT and setter. Some satisfaction in finishing but not hugely enjoyable !
21a would have been a pushover for one of your late contributors yesterday !
3*/3* for me as well. It took me a little while to get 7d, which slowed me down somewhat.
Thanks to setter, and to Deep Threat for the notes.
The toughie gets a thumbs up from me today.
I agree with the comments i.e. the top half was much more difficult than the bottom. 9a was a new word for me which I wouldn’t have got without assistance. Great that snow clearance is also off my agenda today!
Nice little puzzle. Sishami was the last one in. Did anybody notice the trickery at 13ac where the “Some louche rock’n'roll idol” where the hidden word could have been Cher or Hero. I put Cher first and had to alter it. Yesterday at 21ac the clue read “Pine used in making tea chest” The word EACH is hidden there and threw me whilst I tried to make it fit the clue. I could have kicked myself when I spotted ACHE. Could this be a new trend or is it something I have missed previously?
It’s Sashimi, not Sishami. I made the same mistake re Cher/Hero.
Sorry about that. I was more interested in the doubling up of included or hidden words, a trick I had not seen before.
No, I know what you mean – and whilst I didn’t fall in to the trap yesterday, I did spot the potential pitfall. I doubt if it’s a coincidence, more likely to be deliberate on the part of the setter. I’m not sure it’s fair to lead you to a hidden word, only to have more than one to choose from, either of which in the case of today’s clue would be a perfectly reasonable answer.
I’m not convinced ‘Cher’ is an idol, and if the definition is rock ‘n’roll idol, then surely the last letter of che(R) is also included in the definition part of the clue (if that makes sense?)
Hi Jezza – admittedly it would be read as a kind of all in one clue with the hidden word, but I still think that either Cher or Hero are valid answers. Given the not unusual circumstance of people talking about letters and words doing double duty etc in correct answers on this forum, Cher would certainly not be any more contentious than many others.
Hi Roland – I think if there had been a question mark at the end of the clue, Cher might have been a better answer.
Cher is hardly rock’n'roll (but I like her)
That was almost Dick Emery!
I fell into cher trap too!
And me.
And me
And me
I put ‘sushisi’ in at 29a and looked it up on google, the explaination fitted so I left it, completely ignoring the ‘mash’ part
Yes – I had Cher to begin with too just because it jumped out and bit me. Getting 6d sorted out that mistake.
me too Kath
I’m with you DT – really struggled with the top half. Didn’t help putting in Cher for 13a on the first read through though. I also thought that 1a was quite well hidden, couldn’t get ‘unobstructed’ out of my head. Thanks to setter and DT for the review 3.5*/3.5* for me today. Off out now to brave the weather.
btw – you’ve annotated the last few of your across clues as down – I often have senior moments like that
Thanks. Now fixed.
I generate the template with a Word macro, and it was fooled into thinking that the down clues had started by the “Down” in the previous clue. Back to the drawing board!
Only ** for us today thanks to a good number of anagrams acting, as it were, as ice breakers. Agree with you, DT, that 1a took a bit of time. Speaking as one thus adorned I wonder whether the clue would have been more accurate if it were ‘Able to see more clearly…’ Not familiar with Japanese cuisine, but the idea was clear enough and a check with Google confirmed suspicions. Thanks to DT and setter.
The online puzzle page from the DT seems to have gone AWOL about 11 am. Any ideas. Just a blank screen
Well I’m glad I’m not the only one to have problems with the online DT today.
I’m using an iPad and at 1300 have still not been able to get the app to work today! VERY frustrating. Anyone else having similar issues?
Welcome to the blog GMALAGA.
Thanks DT – have commented a couple of times.
Thanks for the great work you do and the excellent tips and hints.
You have changed your email address – the previous one was @me.com
Sorry about that. In my attempts to get DT to work today was resorting to old address. Will now revert to me.com!
It’s back again at 11.17! How mysterious. Just done the quickie, went back for the cryptic, nothing!
All’s well that ends well.
Enjoyable and straightforward crossword, thanks to the setter and to Deep Threat for an entertaining review.
I don’t know why, but I can’t say I really enjoyed this one, it may have something to do with the fact that I wrote the answer to 17A in the place of 18A, grrrr. Having put NERVE in for 12A and CHER in for 13A I can honestly say I buggered it up a tad!
Only real issue I have is with 1A – surely one who can see clearly is unbespectacled? 5D annoyed me a bit too, thw answer was obvious but with the BRB, I can’t say I’ve heard it used in this context.
30A Seemed a bit of a contrived clue.
Like Shropshire lad, i put Cher in for 13a-seemed obviously right until i solved 8d. I did struggle to get a meaningful start as i too struggled with 1a and wanted to put ‘just’ for 7d, once in full flow it all became logical,but i still score it 3.5*** and ****. Liked a lot of clues -38a, 18a,12a for starters.Thanks Deep Threat for the pics-loved the Reaper.
15 d is a new one for me. Agree with the rating but could be nudging nearer to **** for enjoyment. Some good anagrams, all in all good stuff. Thanks to all.
Found the top half harder than the bottom half. Some of the anagrams were well hidden.
Also fell into the Cher trap. Too many drives though Minehead!
I’ll give it ***/***
Also a Cher man
I used to dream of being a Cher man
Actually, that sounds like a tank
Really enjoyed this puzzle, loads of variety on top of the anagrams which gave a way in.
Last in 25a, it’s always the four letter clues which cause me the most grief.
Thanks to DT for the review, and to the setter for an entertaining puzzle.
Thought 1a would have been more appropriate had it been “Enabled” but actually got it fairly readily .Fell into the Cher “trap” as well and took far too long with 7d .
2.5* / 4* for me .
Thanks once again
Glad to know I wasn’t alone in putting Cher in to begin with. And like DT hadn’t known 5d as a cavern before. Needed hints today, so very grateful to both setter and DT – thank you. 3/3 for me today.
It took me ** minutes without hints. No idea how many stars that qualifies for!
Two stars from the censor!
Naughty corner for you – no cake mid week – only supplied at weekends and when CS is up to making cakes again!
In case you don’t know why you were censored it’s because giving the time that someone has taken to finish a crossword could be discouraging to other solvers and is therefore discouraged (or even banned!)
Super crossword, thought perhaps a 2* for difficulty as I finished it over breakfast.
Thx to the setter and to DT for the hints which although I didn’t need today are always appreciated.
I enjoyed this one VERY much – would give it a tiny bit less than 3* for difficulty and at least 4* for enjoyment.
Fell into the Cher trap and I was slow to get three of the four long answers round the outside – 8d went in quite quickly. I wasn’t very happy about 5d but, as others have said, it’s in the BRB – a cove, to me anyway until now, was a small rocky beach. I wouldn’t have got 9a if we hadn’t had the film maker fairly recently – it was a new word to me then but seems to have stuck in the brain!
Lots of good clues – all four long ones plus 12 and 21a and 1 and 15d. Spelt flour makes really lovely bread – I use it a lot.
With thanks to Mr Ron and Deep Threat.
Thoroughly enjoyable and fair romped through it which was a surprise. Some super clues as well. Favourites 1 9 and 30. Never heard the box referred to as the ‘tube’
I know I’m being pedantic, but shouldn’t the clue in 1d call the drink whiskey? i spent some time running through different types of Scotch. Otherwise enjoyable thanks for clues and hints
Yes – knew I had another gripe
As always, nothing is 100% true or false when it comes to spelling!
If I could bother to work out how to put it on here, I’d put a picture of a Jack Daniels bottle which is definitely Whiskey wiv a E
TY BD – Damn, I’ve started talking in initials. ROFL
Ha…they obviously mixed up the puzzles…..
There were some lovely wrong answers just asking to be written in; that’s a fine skill for a setter to have
I paused when I had nine left to do, and realised that they comprised the entire top third of the grid. Last one in was 2D, penultimate was 1A and favourite was 9A.
Thanks to setter and Deep Threat (with whose ratings I agree).
Hi DT and thanks for the hints, I enjoyed this puzzle today, as Steve-the-beard (Stb) says there were some good misdirections, I liked 18a and 24a but put ‘sushisi’ in at 29a, after googling it, finding it did exist and felt it had to be right! How disappointing
also didn’t know cove was cavern, and didn’t really think of dump and shed being synonymous, once again some nice anagrams to get going